7d won't work in the cold

dave · Jan 4, 2006

Hi guys, as a pentax user I'm new to this forum but am hoping that some one can help.

A friend of mine has recently bought a 7d and appears to have a problem. He recently went out on a cold (-5deg C) morning to take his favourite subject, steam engines. He got to the location and set up the camera (switched on) on a tripod about 20 minutes before the train came. When he tried to take pictures the camera would not focus or fire. When he got back to his car the camera still would not work but later that day when it had warmed up it was fine.

he has spoken to Minolta in the UK and they said that the CCD was only guaranteed to work at temperatures between 0 and 50 C.

I find this difficult to believe I have often used my Pentax all day in temperatures of -7 without problems.

I have suggested that he places the camera in a sealed polythene bag in the fridge to try to replicate the problem.

has anyone else had a similar problem or can offer any suggestions. he assures me that the battery was fully charged and still showed fully charged when the camera warmed up
Regards
dave

Riccati · Jan 4, 2006

I've used my 7D in -15 without any trouble - except the battery life is significantly shorter

Hans7D · Jan 4, 2006

Riccati said:
I've used my 7D in -15 without any trouble - except the battery
life is significantly shorter

I have the same experience. The current generation of digital SLR technology and especially the batteries have difficulties with low temperatures. Suggestions; I don't think the problem is in the CCD but in the battery. Make sure the battery is fully loaded when you go out in cold weather. If you have to wait, take out the battery and keep it under your clothes until you need it. Even better is to take two batteries and allways have one warm under your clothes. I know it is a work-around and it doesn't solve the basic problem but with current technology it is the best you can do.

Hans

christer hultberg · Jan 4, 2006

I ued my the other day in -18C in 3-4 hours, no problems.
--
7D 70-210/4, 17-35/2.8, 50/1.4 5600D/Christer

JulienHG · Jan 4, 2006

I've noticed that a few Pentax users are friend/colleagues/relatives with KM users... It's seems that there are lot of social similitudes in both groups...

Just a thought...

--
http://superjuju29.deviantart.com

simima · Jan 4, 2006

Hi

I just used my 7D over the weekend in chilly -10°C. Operation of the camera was no problem (but my hands froze off, despite the gloves. Greetings to Michael Reichmann who tests EVERY camera with gloves. The 7D works with gloves!!).

I usually keep a spare battery in my pocket - where it stays warm.

Beware of condensing humidiity.

Tapio Taponen · Jan 4, 2006

I work with 7D almost half a year near and below freezing point, never got problems, though overheating error... I have a grip with two NP-400 in and spare pair of batteries in my jacket´s pocket. Takes several days of spending time outdoors to drain out batteries. Problems may occur if there is moisture in the air when it´s freezing, but I myself haven´t got difficulties any yet.

Tapio, from the Land of The Santa Claus (that´s Finland)

Corkcampbell · Jan 4, 2006

I am surprised by this. All of my KM cameras, including the original Dimage 7, A1, A2 and my current 5D have worked well in cold weather, well below what the manual recommends. The A2 was given an especially harsh test about a year ago in Harbin, Manchuria. Of course, each battery only worked for a fraction of the usual time, but we all know that cold affects batteries and I had picked up some extras. They are so cheap now. I am still using batteries from the A1 with good success.

The 5D was used for several hours this week on a frozen lake in Beijing. The temperature was a few degrees below freezing but there was an incredible wind. No problem, except frozen fingers. Earlier this month it was used in some mountains with the temperature well below freezing (about 0 F, I think) and strong wind for several hours again with no problems. It was so cold that the water in my bottle, that was kept in a bag next to my body, was frozen.

It sounds to me that perhaps something else is wrong. I agree with another poster that it is probably not the LCD.

Corkcampbell · Jan 4, 2006

Hate to bring bad news, but the newly decorated (for Christmas) bicycle my students gave me recently clearly says that I am Santa Claus. It is painted in permanent, enamel paint. Each day children see the bicycle and I can hear their parents telling them about SC. I am not from Finland. However, next year I will consider importing reindeer from your country.

dave · Jan 4, 2006

Thanks guys . I will get him to double check that the battery is fully charged but if this doesn't solve the problem I guess he might have been unlucky and got a faulty camera. from your replies it doesn't seem that this is a common problem
dave

Tapio Taponen · Jan 4, 2006

Well, Santa is an institution that no people or government can hold its/his rights, but I have come to conclusion that Santa has given up reindeers because of Animal Liberation Front and moved to big business with Coca-Cola Company´s Coke-trucks... I have lot of explanating to do, when my 1,5 year old daughter comes to asking-ages...

Tapio, from the land of a Midnight Sun...

Corkcampbell · Jan 4, 2006

Damn, no reindeer, ha ha! I guess I will need to deliver all of those gifts on my bicycle...

Corkcampbell · Jan 4, 2006

Yes, I really think something else is wrong. Against common sense,

groovejet · Jan 4, 2006

I used to have a Canon EOS 300D (Digital Rebel) and it stopped working while I was trrekking in cold conditions above the snowline. I packed it way and it was working again at the end of the day in a warmer location. Keep a spare battery (or two) warmed in an inner pocket, and keep rotating batteries as problems occur.

robrol · Jan 4, 2006

dave said:
He got to the location and
set up the camera (switched on) on a tripod about 20 minutes before
the train came. When he tried to take pictures the camera would not
focus or fire. When he got back to his car the camera still would
not work but later that day when it had warmed up it was fine.

Is there a clue in 'leaving it switched on for 20 minutes on tripod' in those cold conditions?

This seems a different situation to those who use their cameras in similar cold conditions, but probably keep camera switched off to conserve battery power, and probably in padded insulated carry bag.

This was a bare camera exposed to the elements. It, and its battery, would become very cold during that period of time.

?

Robrol

--
Loitering with intent to buy a 2nd generation KM DSLR

TerraUnbound · Jan 4, 2006

I concur with groovejet. With my Dimage 7, in cold weather (20 F = -6F) my fully charged batteries would work about 15 minutes. After every set of shots I'd hide my camera inside my jacket. Plus I got used to carrying 3 sets of spares (that's a lot of batteries and weight!)

With the 7D, I've taken photos in -17C or less without problems - but again, I stuff my camera inside my jacket after every shot (or so). In fact, I usually hike with it tucked away - makes me look oddly prego, but at least my cam is nice and toasty! Last weekend I took 200+ photos in -1C with a constant wind of 30 mph (resulting wind chill of???).

These sensors were originally developed to be in satellites in space - the temperature up there is a whole lot colder. Bottom line, its more likely to be a constant battle to keep your battery (ies) warm.

-Shelley

--
Dimage 7 and Maxxum 7D
http://www.imageevent.com/terraunbound

swepri · Jan 4, 2006

is if it really is good for the camera to be shifted between cold 'outside' air and inside the jacket. Ok, the temp difference are maybe less than between outdoors and indoors, but it could be a moist atmospere inside the jacket (sweating if physical activity is involved).

Probably not a real problem, but it makes me wonder.
--
/ Paj

http://paj.smugmug.com

Paul Hancock · Jan 4, 2006

--
http://www.pbase.com \pwh

alex904 · Jan 4, 2006

Member said:
he has spoken to Minolta in the UK and they said that the CCD was only
guaranteed to work at temperatures between 0 and 50 C.
I find this difficult to believe I have often used my Pentax all day in
temperatures of -7 without problems.

Sounds like a BS. Because Pentax and Minolta use the same type of Sony CCD's. I just came back from Moscow where I used my camera a lot. Sometimes temperature were reaching -15C. No problems at all.

--
http://www.pictures2.com

cap624 · Jan 4, 2006

I made this comment in another thread about the 7D locking up, but I see that it more aptly applies in this thread about cold weather:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1035&message=16561033

7d won't work in the cold

dave

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